Opioids
Gun violence isn’t the only deadly crisis that the federal government is failing to address. In 2017, more than 47,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses. That’s more than died in car crashes. We’ve heard a lot of talk from Washington, but the federal government has not provided adequate funding to address the epidemic or the breadth of services needed to help people who are addicted. Meanwhile, the epidemic continues to get worse. Without leadership from beyond Washington, we will be worse off in two years than we are today – with more people dying from overdoses, and more families and communities torn apart by addiction.
Fortunately, states are leading where Washington won’t, and we are helping them. In two of the states hit hardest – Pennsylvania and Michigan – we are bringing people together to attack the opioid epidemic with proven strategies that can have an immediate impact and save a lot of lives. That includes expanding access to medications that can reverse an overdose; expanding access to medically assisted treatment, including in jails and prisons; and fighting stigma and misunderstanding around buprenorphine and other drugs that are used for treatment.
The opioid epidemic touches Americans in every community and all walks of life. Addressing it requires cooperation from across society and among everyone working on the front lines: doctors, educators, law enforcement, first responders, teachers, social workers, elected officials, survivors. Our approach empowers each of these groups to take bolder action and share their resources and expertise to help spur progress and save lives. We hope to create a blueprint that other states can learn from and put into action. If they do, we can begin turning the tide on this epidemic and provide a model for the next Congress and president to adopt.